Immersion FAQs

All full-time, regular faculty and staff on the Westchester, Playa Vista, and Law School campuses are welcome and encouraged to apply. No deposit or application fee is required.

Once the application period closes, our selection committee will review applications with the goal of identifying a group that is diverse and well-balanced (considerations may include affiliation [faculty and staff], division/unit, length of time at LMU, mission and international experience, and so on). The selection process is not competitive, but the more information you provide in your application, the better the selection committee will understand you and your hopes for participation.

Applicants who have not been selected in previous years are encouraged to apply each year they are interested! Applications for these trips always exceed our capacity, but we are working to expand our offerings. If you'd like to be the first to hear about upcoming trips and receive word when applications open, please join our mailing list.

Our itinerary will be developed in collaboration with our in-country partner, Augsburg University's Center for Global Education and Experience. The program is likely to include site visits; conversations with local community leaders, activists, and experts; opportunities to encounter local wildlife, geography, arts, and culture; and guided reflection facilitated by trip leaders.

This immersion program does not include volunteer service or other activities that are sometimes included under the category of "mission trips." The Faculty/Staff Immersion program's emphasis is on education, accompaniment, solidarity, and global citizenship. Participants will be invited to listen, learn, and reflect on their responses to what they have experienced.

Once accepted, immersion participants are expected to attend the following:

• An introductory one-on-one meeting with the program director;
• Three weekday, daytime preparatory group meetings of 90 minutes during the spring semester;
• One evening dinner with the full immersion group in the weeks immediately prior to departure;
• The full program itinerary, from designated arrival through closing. Late arrivals or early departures cannot be accommodated.

Precise dates and times for pre-trip meetings will be determined by group availability once the roster is finalized. 

Participants must also hold a current passport valid for the dates of travel and sign a liability  waiver and photo release. If you anticipate any of these elements posing an obstacle to your participation, please contact Kat Brown at katherine.brown@lmu.edu to discuss your specific circumstances. 

Program costs in-country during the designated program dates are fully sponsored by the Center for Mission and Identity, including all lodging in single accommodations with private bath, meals, entry and program fees, local transportation, insurance and emergency assistance coverage, and so on. Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements for arrival and departure at the program site, and airfare is reimbursable (reimbursement amounts are set each year based on average flight costs to the destination).

If costs pose a barrier to your participation in this program, please contact Kat Brown at katherine.brown@lmu.edu for assistance.

Since the immersion will entail absence from campus during standard work days, your participation may also require specific accommodations from your supervisor. If you encounter (or anticipate) difficulty in this area, please contact Kat Brown.

No! The program includes full interpretation and translation as needed, and speaking a language other than English is not necessary for full participation. 

A primary goal of the immersion is to encounter communities and ways of life that are outside our day to day contexts. Participants are encouraged to enter into the experience with an attitude of simplicity, openness, and willingness to venture "outside their comfort zone." 

In keeping with this principle, travel, food, and lodging will be simple and modest, though safe and comfortable. All participants will be housed in single accommodations with private bathrooms. Travel will be by chartered van and bus. Meals may be shared in a variety of contexts, including restaurants, vendors, and host-prepared meals. Participants with dietary or religious restrictions should contact the trip facilitator before departure to ensure appropriate accommodation. 

A suggested packing list, pre-departure checklist, and itinerary will be shared with participants prior to departure, and facilitators are available to address specific questions or needs.

No problem - ask away! Contact Kat Brown, Director of Mission and Identity Programs, at katherine.brown@lmu.edu.